Flying Colors debut disc...

I don't usually try to promote stuff here. However, I'm enjoying Neal Morse's "new other band". They are called Flying Colors. Formed by drummer Mike Portnoy, who is quite good. He & Neal have been playing together for a while [first in TransAtlantic, another "super-group", then on all of Neal's Prog solo discs]. I'm really stuck on track 4....

The Storm

There was a time
When my life was easy
Stretched out in the sun
Everything was clover
The world was
off my shoulders
for awhile

But then the sky turned
a bomb fire shade
And hit me
like a gun
It passed
with flying colors
There's no flying
over...

The storm...
We will dance
as it breaks
The storm...
It will give
as it takes
And all
of our pain is washed away
Don't cry
or be afraid
Some things
only
can be made
In the storm

Sometimes we get swept away
We're
forced to take the change
The desert gives you comfort
You can't stay here
all your wounded life

Underneath is the tempest rage
Your secrets come undone
When mountains need movin'
Let me help you through
it

The storm...
We will dance as it breaks
The storm...
Comes as fast as it fades
And all
of our pain is washed away
Don't cry or be afraid
Some things only
can be made
In the storm

All your secrets come undone
Every web you've ever spun
All your secrets come undone
Let'em go
Let it come...

The storm...
We will dance as it breaks
The storm...
Gives you more than it takes
And all
of our pain is washed away
Stare chaos in the face
We need only to embrace

Don't cry
or be afraid
Some things
only
can be made
In the storm


I've been writing....just not posting much anywhere. Lately I'm pondering putting some writings on here about Good Friday.
till next time...
B

images of my life?

The last few weeks have been busy. I feel a bit "worn @ the edges". However, I feel the need to take some time & "get creative". So here I am. "Barreling down the tracks" as it were. I'm trying to change life here, in my corner of the world. Fixing things, going through things. Deconstructing life @ home, & reconstructing it. Hoping that I'm reconstructing it in a more useful, real me now, sort of way. However, it is really stressing me out. So, as you can see, I took a walk. Got back out into nature. Which is good for me physically & spiritually....

Climbing rocks, exploring new trails...

Seeing things from a different perspective...

Finally coming to a restful position.

I've been reading, sporadically, about 4 books. Saw a good movie with my wife. [The Vow, which despite the "chick flick" vibe you may get... is really a good movie to see as a married person. It will make you think.]

Last, certainly not least, here is a poem. I'm kinda surprised came out of me. I'm not sure it's "done". Yet I like the length of it.

[untitled]
so many facets to myself
so many sides
how do I assemble them?
what do they together make?
do all sides belong to the whole?
or
are some intruders,
blur-ers, distorters,
thieves of the whole.
back to the ancient book I go
knowing the answers
lie there in those precious pages.
by b.e. noll

Valentine's Day

There is so much I could say. I've been blessed to watch one of, if not the greatest, love relationships there is. My Mother & Dad.
Then... there is the greatest story of love ever told. The love of God. I'll be listening to: Over the Rhine, Sting, Norah Jones, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, among others.
I wondered how I could write anything that resembles poetry. I never really read any... or did I not realize that's what it was. To this effect, I post a Love song [of sorts] to God.

the Trumpet Child
by Over the Rhine

The trumpet child
will blow his horn
Will blast the sky
till it’s reborn
With Gabriel’s power
and Satchmo’s grace
He will
surprise
the human race

The trumpet he
will use to blow
Is being
fashioned
out of fire
The mouthpiece is
a glowing coal
The bell a burst
of wild desire

The trumpet child
will riff on love
Thelonious notes
from up above
He’ll improvise
a kingdom come
Accompanied by
a different drum

The trumpet child
will banquet here
Until the lost
are truly found
A thousand days,
a thousand years
Nobody knows
for sure how long

The rich forget
about their gold
The meek and mild
are strangely bold
A lion lies
beside a lamb
And licks
a murderer’s
outstretched hand

The trumpet child
will lift a glass
His bride now leaning
in at last
His final aim
to fill with joy
The earth
that man
all but
destroyed

Granted... maybe only in my strange mind is this a love song.
Anyway, enjoy tomorrow.
Be glad for all the relationships you've been blessed with.
[because you didn't have to be... & you never know...
how long you will be blessed with them]

My Valentine - Paul McCartney
Crazy love - Michael Buble
My Funny Valentine - Over the Rhine

Mickey

...she has the name
of a famous mouse
& it's carved
onto my heart
never to be removed
carved by a man
who's earthly father
was a carpenter
carved there by a man
who knows
what love really is

her smile
is like the sun
rising at dawn
her eyes
twinkle
like the evening stars
her voice
is the sound my ears yearn for
I know her so well
I can hear her smile
on the phone
in the way it changes her melodic voice
when she holds my hand
our skin
feels like sparklers lit for the 4th of July
her lips are a pink ribbon
her eyelashes
so wonderfully made
why would The Artist
allow me to live
with such
a work of art
as her?
While I cannot answer that
I can say
I'm glad He did...


Thank you Jesu, for allowing me to have a partner in life.
thank you for making Mickey. Thank you for sharing her with me.
I pray that I can grow into being a much better husband, than I have been.

welcome to the "sappy, mushy, closet romantic" side of me,
b.e. noll

today

Hello out there. I have written about 20 posts... inside my head. Honestly, I'm in the middle of about half a billion things. My wife did get unemployment. A wonderful thing. My Father is heading to Guatemala next week [short term missions trip]. I'm trying to do a mix of traditional V-day things & "unique to us" things. Currently listening to samples of King Crimson's THRaKaTTaK [a disc of improv's by them from the "double trio" period]. Still laughing @ a cartoon a friend has on his facebook page. Showing 2 Mayans, 1 holding a stone disc. It reads: "I only had enough room to go to 2012." [his friend replies] "Ha! That'll freak somebody out someday."
Silly as it is, I'm excited about going through the basement [aka the storage unit]. I'll try to post a poem or 2 on here soon again.

Mom continues to improve. [for Paul, & others who don't know, my Mother had back surgery for a cyst & shrinking of her spine's diameter, & then had a blood clot].

here I sit
my brain an orchestra
every instrument
reading different sheet music
15 trains of thought
all have left the station
none are traveling together
I futilly grab the conductor's wand
to no avail
I cry
"it's noisy in here"
but
it sounds
like a cat
meowing in a New York traffic jam
it'll go away
not soon enough
of course
I sit & sigh at myself
depressed that I'm not
progressing
yet
when I look around
things are improving
not as fast
as I'd like
A friend facebooks me
a new possiblity
perhaps what I need
is a "photography gettaway"
perhaps
what I need
is to get out
of my own road
who knows?

Take care all,
b.e. noll

a "poem prayer"

well, Mick finally went to her hearing [for unemployment benefits]. The other side didn't show up [if you are reading this thank you]. I'm told this should mean she'll get unemployment money. Which will certainly help us out. I'm hoping & praying that we won't need them much longer. I'm trying to write more poems. I get bummed with myself quite easily lately. Which is strange because, when I look back over the past few months, I've been getting way more done than I have in years. Anyway, Mom is improving. She's back to church regularly, & she's able to go to her growth group every week now. [Thank you SO VERY MUCH George Bartha, for the purple chair you bring to her every week!!!! It really helps her a lot] Well, I'm going to finish this with a new... "poem prayer". I'm not quite sure how I feel about sharing prayers that come out as poems. [I'm going to do this one anyway...]

Yahweh,
help me
to clean the years of dust
off this soul
to scrub away
the "dark graffiti"
toxic thoughts
hazardous dreams
corrosive words
the junk of the past
locked in closets
boxed in the basement
stuffed in the drawers
of my heart
restore this temple
restart my heart
be the alarm clock
of my soul
strip the dirt away
reveal
the art you had in mind
before the dawn of time
repaint the temple
in colors
that better reflect
your glory
give my heart
your rhythm
give my footsteps
your back-beat
help my soul
to sing
in harmony with you
help my photos
shed light
on you
help my words
to be worth reading
to be filled with
truth, mercy, understanding, grace
that I could release them
to you
to be used as you wish
in ways
I'll never be smart enough
to come up with on my own
love you,
b.e. noll

a winter poem

winter

I miss thee, winter
the smoke mist
that comes from warm lungs
the crunch of frozen snow
the magic
that seems to come from
painting nature white
the imagery that it makes
the thousands for tiny prisms
that ice crystals make
as the sun light glints on them
the smile of greeting a stranger
who also loves this display
however
winter
it seems
has taken a holiday
of late
I enjoy getting my Blonde
to go out & about with me
more readily
however I do miss thee
hope we get some time to play together
before you must move to
your "summer hide out"
or is it your get away?
by b.e. noll

a few of my favorite things [people]

Merry Christmas Everyone! I got to sit next to Mom & Dad today [1st service, sorry I wasn't with you Mel & Bubb] Mom came without some thing! -her wheelchair!!!! [got my gift] And a BIG thanks to Pastors Steve, Brian, Rob, & Aaron. THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! Loved Connie up singing too! and as my friend Donnie said, people are the best gifts!

a photo to go with that last line. [it sits in my pc room above the monitor on a shelf] From left, a painting by a friend [thanks Jenn Harvey!] I thank God for art. Melanie & Rick [aka Bubba] & the girls: Kenzie & Payton [nieces] A very small nativity. Jesus, it's your birthday -but WE got the gift!! Thanks. a copy of a pic on here already [Dad, Mom, Mick & me]. Mick & her Dad [his graduation], & Mick's Mom. Just a few of my favorite things!

Merry Christmas to all of you out there.

Thank you Jesus, for the unfairness of life. You, who lacked nothing. Came to us, who lack everything. Unlike Santa, you came to give a precious gift, to all the bad kids of the world. In order to make them good. [because sooner or later, we all are one]
It's not always comforting, that life isn't fair.
But Life wasn't fair to it's author, so I guess my odds aren't good, huh?
At least, I can rejoice about 1 unfairness.
I'm not going to hell. ...even though should.
Thank you for going through hell
so I don't have to live there.

Jesus, it's your Birthday,
but we got the gift,
YOU.
thanks for wanting me [us]
so much!
Love,
B